Gravity
by AbsoluteReader1995
Summary: What happens to Yugi after Yami has to leave? Can Yami save Yugi before Shadow destroys him from the inside? OC, slight yugixyami, depressing.
1. Chapter 1

_Yugi's thoughts_

_**Shadow's thoughts**_

_Yugi's writing_

_**Shadow's writing**_

any other characters thoughts and/or writing

**Chapter 1: Falling**

Yugi woke with a gasp, his hair sticking to his sweaty face and wide terrified eyes frantically scanned the room. Before Yugi had met Yami, he had nightmares every night, and now that Yami was gone the nightmares returned with a vengeance.

Yugi sighed when he realized that he was in his room and no longer trapped within the darkness of his nightmare. He looked over to where his clock was and read that it was 5:01am, he was up an hour earlier than usual. _Might as well get ready for school,_ there was no way he would be able ro fall back asleep.

_**Oh joy, another day surrounded by morons. **_Yugi stiffened when he heard that frighteningly cold voice again. Along with the return of the nightmares also came Shadow. Shadow would have been the spitting image of Yugi if it weren't for the grey-toned skin and the pitch black hair and eyes.

Shadow laughed and appeared in front of Yugi just like Yami used to do. _**What's the matter Mou Hiteri no boku, **_Yugi flinched when he heard Shadow use the name that only Yami could call him, _**still not used to hearing me in your head?**_

Yugi tried to ignore the way that Shadow starred at him as he got ready for school, but like always it scarred him. Shadow always looked at Yugi as if he were waiting for something, his eyes were impatient, hungary, and cold, always cold.

When Yugi was dressed for school he went back over to his bed and pulled out a journal from in between the mattresses. Shadow snorted at Yugi when he saw him pull it out.  
_**Why do you even write in that thin? **_Shadow asked, _**It's not as if anyone else is going to read it and even if someone did find it, they're not going to care about what's written in it. **_He sneered.

Yugi looked down at his journal and thought about all his past entries, even the ones he wrote before he met Yami and all his friends.

"I don't want anyone to read it," Yugi said quietly.

_**Then why write in it?**_ Shadow asked.

"So I can know if and when I'm going to break," Yugi told him. Shadow smiled and that hungary look was back in his eyes again.

Yugi opened his journal and wrote about the dream he had during the night.

_March 8 - 9 months since Yami left_

_6:47am_

_ I am falling again. It's so black that I can't see anything, but I can hear the voices. The darkness tries to trick me into thinking that I'm not falling, but I can feel my body being pulled down. Down to my end. The voices, the voices of Yami and my friends, fallow me as I fall, fall, falling_

_ Always falling._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Ground**

Yugi was sitting in the middle of his room with a blank face. His hair was slowly changing from its tri colors of purple, black, and blonde to the pitch black of Shadow's. The once kind, soft, and warm eyes were now hard, cruel, and cold. A triumphant smile spread across Shadow's face as he looked down at Yugi's journal and read what was last written.

_April 2 - 9 months, 2 weeks since Yami left_

_3:57pm_

_ I don't know what's real anymore. Shadow shows me things, things that can't possibly be there. I see my friends betraying me or lying on the ground in their own blood. I see blood dripping from my face, my wrists, my chest. I see the world around me fall. I see maggots in my food and whatever I try to drink will look like blood, I haven't eaten for 8 days now. It was today that I broke, that I finally stopped falling and hit the ground. I saw Yami walking away from me in the hall al with all my friends and I saw Yami turn to Tea and tell her that he loves her. I shattered even before I had a chance to hit the ground._

**Shadow's POV**

Shadow laughed hysterically as he finished reading what Yugi wrote. He picked up the pen that Yugi had dropped when he surrendered to the dark and wrote his own entery on the next page.

_**April 2 - day 1 of freedom**_

_**11:28pm**_

_** Finally, I got out. It took longer than I thought it would for Yugi to become weak enough for me to take over, but I did it. When the nightmares were not enough, I turned his reality into fantacies and my horrors into his reality. The blood, maggots, and betrayal of his friends wasn't enough, so I took advantage of his one weakness, the pharoh, Atem, his Yami. I wish I had done it sooner instead of using all those other useless images. Well, it doesn't matter now, it's over and done with. I'm free and Yugi's trapped within the dark world of my mind that he can never get out. I have him chained, strapped to the ground that he's been falling towards for months. I'm torturing him with visions of a life he can't have. He hit the ground and I will never let him get back up again.**_

Shadow looked at what he had written and planned out the life he'll live as Yugi to tear apart the friendship of Yugi's percious, pathetic, little friends.

**"I've got to thank you pharaoh," **Shadow said, **"it was because of your decision to leave that allowed me to gain the strength to take over Yugi. You probally never realized that you were suppressing me and my darkness. If you had stayed, I would have vanished."**

Shadow felt a slight annoyance coming from the abyss that he had trapped Yugi in. He gave out a frustrated growl and then closed his eyes and focused on the abyss that Yugi was in. Yugi no longer had the blank look that had been on his face when Shadow possessed him, now he looked scarred and lost.

** "What?"**Shadow snapped at him.

"Is it true?" Yugi asked in a pained voice.

**"You'll have to be more specific."** Shadow said irritated.

"Did Yami really have a choice?" Yugi asked with disbelief written all over his face, "Could he really have stayed with me if he had chosen to?"

** "Of course. Did you really believe that someone as powerful as him did not get a say in the matter?"** Shadow asked him with a laugh.** "Do not ask me why he chose to leave,"** he said when he saw Yugi open his mouth,** "because I do not know. Maybe it was because he no longer wanted to be with you, maybe it was because he no longer wanted to share a body with a brat."** He sneered.

Yugi flinched and then the light drained out of his eyes as he gave in. The darkness that had been surrounding him now covered him in what looked like black glass. Shadow laughed as the glass covered Yugi and even more chains strapped him to the ground

** "You're never getting out."** Shadow told him, then vanished.

_**Yugi's POV**_

_I froze when he said that, then I watched as the darkness covered me in what looked like black glass. I watched as more chains surrounded the glass and sunk into the ground. I watched as the chains strapped me to the ground, where I would stay, not able to do anything, but watch as shadows swirled and danced above me. To watch as the shadows destroyed my world from the inside and out._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Unexpected Appearances**

**Normal POV**

Shadow walked up to the roof of the school where Yugi's pathetic friends had lunch. He knew that Yugi had begun to draw away from his friends, but Shadow needed to get close to them again so that he could destroy them. The more pain that he caused, the stronger he became.

"Hey guys," Shadow said and internally winced as he used Yugi's shy, yet kind voice. It was so sickenly sweet and made him want to throw up.

The group of friends looked up in surprise and then froze when they saw their friend. Yugi was dressed in black jeans, black muscle shirt, and had hair so black you never would have known it had been any other color.

"Does it look bad?" Shadow asked in faked uncertainty.

"No," Tristan quickly told him, "just a bit different is all."

"Ya Yug," Joey said reassuringly, "you can't just suddenly show up with black hair and not expect us to react without having told us anything."

"Joey's right," Tea said, "it's pretty shocking, but it does look good."

The three friends went up to Yugi to get a closer look, but Ryou and Malik hung back a little looking at Yugi in concern. They both understood the pain of loosing their other half and were still not over it. But they also knew of the darkness that had seemed to be waiting when their other halves were gone. They had gradually conquered their darkness, but they had seen the difficulties Yugi was having with his own. They had hoped that Yugi could become stronger than his darkness, but when Yugi had drawn away from his friends, Ryou and Malik had feared that Yugi wasn't going to make it. Now, except for looking thinner and a bit paler, Yugi looked stronger than ever. They didn't know what to make of it.

"Maybe something happened overnight and he got better," Ryou said to Malik optimistically.

Malik was about to agree when Yugi turned to look at them and any thought Ryou and Malik had of Yugi being ok, vanished the moment they saw his eyes. Yugi's - no, this dark thing that had taken Yugi's place - had eyes with the coldest look in them. Not even Ryou had seen such cold eyes and his other half had been Bakura, the tomb raider. Ryou and Malik saw when the thing figured out that they knew he wasn't Yugi and he wasn't happy about it. For a split second, the Yugi-copy's eyes turned pitch black before he turned away from Ryou and Malik and that's when they knew that Yugi was no longer there and they had to find some way to get him back.

**Shadow's POV**

When Shadow turned to Ryou and Malik he saw that they knew he wasn't Yugi. He wanted to snarl in annoyance and frustration, because this could cause a problem with his plan. Shadow was about to go over there and see if he could find some way to convince them that he was Yugi, when he saw something unexpected. For a brief second Shadow saw Bakura and Marik standing behind Ryou and Malik, glaring at him. It was at that moment that Shadow's eyes turned black and he knew he was going to have problems.

_**Great,**_ he thought, _**Is there anyone else that wants to ruin my plans?**_ It was then that everyone's eyes widened and he felt arms wrap around his chest. There was a feeling akin to panic building in his mind that made him realize that Yugi could still see, hear, and feel everything that Shadow did.

"Did you miss me, Mou Hitori No Boku?" Came the question from the person who was holding him.

_** Guess that**__ answers my question._ Shadow growled in his head just as the panic exploded into pain and he passed out.

**Yugi's POV**

_ It wasn't til the next day that I realized that I could still feel, hear, and see everything that Shadow did. For a split second I was happy, until I realized that I still couldn't do anything except watch. So I watched. I watched as Shadow went throughout the day pretending to be me. I watched as Joey, Tea, and Tristan trusted the thing that wasn't me. I watched with slight happiness as Ryou and Malik saw that Shadow was not me. I watched in sadness as an image of Bakura and Marik appeared and reminded me of Yami. It wasn't until I felt those so familiar arms wrap around Shadow that I begun to panic. When I heard Yami call Shadow what he only calls me, my panic turned into overwhelming pain. Pain at the fact that Yami would think that Shadow was me and that I still couldn't do anything but watch it happen. That was the last thought I had when Shadow passed out, overwhelmed by the pain I was sure he could feel coming from me. When all I could see again were the shadows swirling above me I began to cry. I cried for the fact that if I had just waited one more day, then I could have been with Yami again. But I didn't, I gave up, and now I would do anything to change that fact._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: You Must Return**

"That can't be true, I would have heard of this darkness long ago if it were." Said a tall man who looked like Yugi, but with longer hair, tanned skin, and crimson eyes. Two men stood in front of him, one had pale light brown hair and looked like Malik, while the other had white hair, a scar under his right eye, and looked like Ryou.

The Malik look-a-like glared while the other snorted.

"Forget it Marik," the Ryou look-a-like said, "the pharaoh's not going to believe us."

The pharaoh looked between the two, unsure. He wanted to believe them, but he didn't know if he could after all that had happened in the world of the living.

"How do I know if I can trust you Bakura?" He asked. "Or you Marik? You were both willing to hurt others to get what you wanted."

"You think that you're the only one who had to give up something for someone else?!" Bakura shouted, "Do you really believe that you're the only one who wanted to stay?! Do you really believe that we didn't love someone enough to want to stay?! To love them enough that you wanted them to have their own bodies back? To be able to get their lives back?"

Marik looked away, but Bakura kept his eyes locked on the pharaoh, not realizing that he had begun crying. The pharaoh looked at Bakura in shock, but it was quickly turning to pain as he realized that Marik and Bakura had wanted to stay as much as he had.

"Alright," he said, "tell me about this darkness."

Bakura and Marik relaxed and then told the pharaoh a story of a darkness before the shadow games.

"This darkness takes the shape of whoever holds the most pain, basically it's a copycat." Marik told the story, for it was told to his other half when he was a child. "The darkness enters that person like a parasite and the more pain the host feels, the stronger it becomes. The darkness will create nightmares for its host, so that it can grow stronger and as the host falls deeper into the nightmares, the darkness can begin to twist its host's reality. When the host breaks, unable to take anymore, the darkness is then able to take over and push the host's subconscious out of the way. Eventually the host's subconscious will grow weak and die out, allowing the darkness to take full control of the body and the mind. The host's subconscious is like a light in the back of the mind that is slowly being put out by the dark."

"What does this have to do with Yugi?" The pharaoh asked in confusion and shock.

"Because of our other halves connections to the past, they were more vulnerable to the darkness. Mine and Bakura's other halves were able to overcome it." Marik told the pharaoh, grim.

"What? Why?" The pharaoh asked.

"Because he was being consumed by the darkness before we showed up." Bakura answered. "From what I've seen of Ryou's memories, Yugi was suffering from the darkness's nightmares long before he met you."

"I believe that while you were in Yugi's mind, you were somehow suppressing the darkness in Yugi." Marik said. "I don't quite understand it, but I do know that he needs you, Atem. You must return to the world of the living."

The pharaoh, Atem, nodded. "I will go speak with Anubis."

"No need," said a voice from behind them, "I have heard everything and I agree with Marik."

The three talking quickly turned around and bowed down to the Lord of the Dead. He was barefooted and was wearing the same Egyptian robes as the pharaoh, but his were black. Anubis had black hair, gold eyes, and face markings that completely covered his face and resembled a wolf..

"Your Hikari is growing weaker and if the shadows are not stopped, you may be too late to save him." Anubis said sadly and Atem's eyes widened in fear "But," Atem looked up hopefully, "I can send you back to the world of the living and give you a body and life of your own."

"Can I stay?" Atem asked.

"Yes, if you can save your Hikari, then you may stay." Anubis replied. "However, there are some things that you must know. First, you and your Hikari will still have your telepathic link and you will still have your power to speak with the ancient spirits. You also need to know that Yugi, Ryou, and Malik have the powers of you, Bakura, and Marik. Yugi can see and speak with the spirits of the ancients, Ryou can find whatever he seeks, and Malik can read, write , and speak ancient languages that are no longer spoken in the present."

Atem, Marik, and Bakura stared at Anubis in shock, they had never known this.

"One more thing pharaoh." Anubis said seriously. "Atem, the darkness that has possessed your Hikari is the strongest it has ever been. It has grown its own consciousness, instead of just a will to spread and cause pain it also has a will to live, to keep the form it has, and to completely destroy one person, even if that person were to disappear forever. Atem. that one person the darkness wants to destroy until there is nothing and no one left to show he ever existed is your Hikari, your Yugi."

All the blood left Atem's face so that he looked even paler than Yugi. Bakura and Marik looked at each other, that hadn't realized that the darkness was that strong.

"Close your eyes Atem." Anubis said and Atem did so. "The last thing you need to know is that the darkness has chosen a new name. That name, is Shadow." Atem nodded. "Now when you open your eyes, you will be in the world of the living. Good luck pharaoh."

**Atem's POV**

Atem opened his eyes to see the door to the roof of Yugi's school in front of him. He opened the door and right there, standing in front of him, was his Hikari, his other half, his light, his Yugi. Atem saw all his other friend's eyes widen in surprise and he smiled at them. Then he went up to Yugi and wrapped his arms around him, but he could already feel the coldness that seemed to be oozing off Yugi in waves.

_Did Shadow already take over?_ Atem wondered, worried._ Was I too late? No, I couldn't have been, Anubis would not have sent me here if that were true._

"Did you miss me, Mou Hitori No Boku?" Atem asked to see if he could get a reaction out of the person he was holding. He wanted to know if Yugi would still react to the name that only Atem could call him. And react he did, Yugi - or was it Shadow? - stiffened and then passed out in Atem's arms. The moment that Atem caught Yugi, he could feel how thin Yugi has gotten.

_ Oh Yugi, I never should have left. _Atem thought sadly._ I wanted you to live your life without having a 300 year old pharaoh intruding in your life. I never realized how much you would need me. Do not worry though my Hikari, I will be here for you now and I'll never leave you again._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Dreams and Nightmares**

**Normal POV**

On the roof of Domino High were seven people, on was holding another that had passed out, while the other five stood starring in shock. Then everyone began talking at once.

"Atem? What-?"

"Yugi!-"

"How did-?"

"What are-?"

"Are you-?"

"Is Yugi-?"

"Enough!" Atem shouted and everyone immediately became quiet. "I will explain everything later I promise, but for now I need Ryou and Malik to come with me to take Yugi home. Joey, Tea, Tristan, you guys meet up with us when school is over, ok?"

Ryou and Malik quickly ran over to Atem and the other three nodded in agreement. It was at that moment that the bell to signal that lunch was over rang throughout the school.

"Ok, you guys get to class." Atem told Joey, Tristan, and Tea. "Ryou, Malik, and I will wait until there is no one in the halls, then we'll leave."

Malik and Ryou looked at Atem questioningly, they didn't understand why Atem wanted to wait until the others were gone. Atem watched the other three leave for class, then turned to Ryou and Malik.

"Before we leave, I must ask you both a question." Atem told them seriously. "You both understand what's happening to Yugi, don't you?" He had to make sure that they fully understood what the darkness was and what it was doing to their friend before he told them anything else.

Ryou and Malik nodded, relieved that Atem knew what was happening and was going to help Yugi.

"Good," Atem said, also relieved, "let's go."

* * *

**Ryou's POV**

Ryou sighed in exhaustion, Atem had told everyone about the darkness and what it was doing to Yugi. Atem didn't want anyone to tell Yugi about what they knew, because he feared that the darkness would hear it as well and would work faster to get rid of Yugi. Atem explained that Ryou and Malik would not be able to convince Yugi that they didn't know anything, because he would be able to see the spirits of their other halves. Ryou sighed again when he remembered Atem telling him and Malik that he could see Bakura and Marik standing with them.

_ Bakura I wish that you really were here with me._ Ryou thought sadly. _You're so much stronger than I am and though you never showed it, you had the biggest heart. The reason you tried to destroy the pharaoh was revenge for what happened to your village when the millennium items were created. You never knew what truly happened, you were just a child and your family and friends were suddenly gone, all you knew was that it was Atem's father who had the items that destroyed you life. _Ryou closed his eyes, missing his other half. _I wish I had gotten a chance to talk to you before you left, so that I could have told you how I felt._ That was the last thought he had before falling asleep.

**Ryou's Dream**

_ Ryou stood on a hill that was surrounded by a river with so much gold on the bottom that the water even looked gold. Ryou knew where he was, it was Bakura's half of their mind. Bakura would sit here when Ryou was conscious. Ryou knew that if he looked behind him he would see the village where Bakura grew up, but it was what was in front of him that caught his attention. What used to be the roads of London blended together with the streets of Domino City was now completely covered in darkness. Ryou panicked, because that was where he would be when Bakura had been in control, it was his half of their mind. That was when he realized that Bakura's half should no longer be there._

"What's going on?" _Ryou asked, not really expecting an answer._

"The darkness is spreading."_ Ryou exhaled sharply, he knew that voice. _"It seeks to destroy Yugi completely, including anything and anyone that might be connected to him. Because you are close to him and have already been touched by the darkness, it wants to cloud your mind until you no longer remember anything, not even who you are."

"The darkness wants to destroy Yugi that badly?" _Bakura nodded. _"Why?"

"Because he is strong."_ Bakura replied. _"He does not know it, but he has the power to defeat the darkness." _Ryou's eyes widened. _"Oh, right,"_ Bakura said. _"before I forget to tell you, like the pharaoh did, you have my power Ryou. You can find whatever it is that you seek, no matter what it is."

"Really?"_ Ryou asked and Bakura nodded. _"Ok, I'm going to try it out."

"Don't you want to do that while you ate awake?"_ Bakura asked, confused._

"No."_ Ryou said softly, then he thought about what he wanted to find. He wanted to find the feelings Bakura had for him that he kept hidden. Ryou's eyes glowing a faint gold color was the only outside indication that Ryou had found whatever is was that he had been looking for. On the inside Ryou was bursting with happiness, he knew that Bakura loved him as much as Ryou loved him. It was like a feeling he was getting in his chest and a voice seemed to be whispering in his head. Ryou wanted to run up to Bakura and kiss him, but he didn't think that Bakura would like that much display of affection._

_ There was suddenly the sound of a building falling in the distance and Ryou quickly turned around to see that the darkness had knocked over one of his memories. Ryou didn't know which memory it was that he lost, but he knew that it wasn't a really important one that he would miss._

"Damn."_ Bakura murmured. _"Ok, it looks like I cannot protect your mind like this and I'm sure that Marik is having the same problems with protecting Malik's mind. I will have to speak with Anubis and see if he will allow us to come down here like the pharaoh, to help."

_ Bakura had spoken grimly, but suddenly he had a chest full of Ryou thrown at him. Ryou had latched himself to Bakura crying in complete and utter happiness._

"Ryou?"_ Bakura asked in confusion and surprise._

"I hope that he says yes,"_ Ryou sobbed, _"I have so much to tell you."

_ Bakura looked down at Ryou with a softness in his eyes and held Ryou tightly to his chest. _"Me too Ryou, me too."

* * *

**Malik's Dream**

_ Malik stood staring in disbelief at the world of his mind. His mind was a blend of the modern world and ancient Egypt. Behind him again stood an entrance to a tomb with Egyptian hieroglyphics of Marik's memories on the walls._

"Looks like Bakura and I will also have to come to the world of the living."_ Said a voice behind Malik._

_ Malik spun around to see Marik leaning against the entrance into his half of their minds._

"What are you doing here Marik?"_ Malik asked._

"I came to inform you that the darkness is spreading into your mind, slowly destroying your memories."_ Marik said. _"Also, to tell you something the pharaoh didn't, because he was too focused on Yugi. You have my power Malik. You can read, write and speak in ancient languages that have long been forgotten."

_Malik stared in surprise at his other half, then he smirked. _"You always have to get right to the point, don't you Marik?"

"Of course."_ Marik snorted, then his eyes softened and he lifted his hand and gently brushed Malik's cheek with the back of it. _"I'll be coming soon my Hikari."

_Malik nodded, leaning into Marik's hand and smiling as he read the emotions that were being written across the walls behind Marik. Marik's thoughts and emotions were once again writing themselves on the walls. _

* * *

**Yugi's POV**

_ Yugi was still laying in his glass case when the shadows suddenly cleared, allowing him to see Shadow pacing around him._

**_ "Why?"_**_ He snarled. __**"Why did he suddenly choose now to show his face?" **__Yugi was wondering the same thing. __**"It must be the Lord of the Dead's fault, that damn Anubis, interfering with my plans, well I'll show him."**_

_ Yugi flinched as Shadow suddenly turned to him with a frightening smile that now had sharp teeth._

**_ "You, my little host, are going to be my key to destroying the world of the dead." _**_Shadow said. __**"You see, you have a connection to the spirit world stronger than any other mortal who has ever lived. Your connection is even stronger than the pharaoh's, because not only can you speak with the dead, you can enter their world and bring them into yours. If I can get ahold of that power of yours, then I can enter the spirit world and destroy it."**_

"Is that what were to happen if I were to enter the spirit world too?"_ Yugi asked fearfully._

**_ "Of course not." _**_Shadow snarled at him.__** "Your purpose in the spirit realm is to take the spirits to Anubis, who will then put the spirits to rest. You would never be able to do it on your own though. You don't have the power to find the lost spirits, nor the power to speak to those who have been lost for centuries."**_

_ Yugi stared at Shadow, he never knew that he could do all that. _"Does Yami-?"

_** "Do not speak of him!" **__Shadow cut him off.__** "Anubis thinks that he can send your precious pharaoh here to save you, but listen and listen well host, that pharaoh of yours can do all he can for decades, but he will never be strong enough to get you out. I told you, you are mine, you fell to the ground and can never get back up, and your mind will break until you are nothing. I will take full control of this body and your powers and by then you will be gone and I'll have killed your pharaoh"**_

_ With that said, Shadow was gone, and Yugi was left to watch again. Oh Yami hurry, he thought, I don't have much time left, I feel like I'm going mad. The darkness plucks at my mind, slowly prodding it and ripping it apart, it's agonizing Yami. I need you._

* * *

**Atem POV**

Atem was sitting next to Yugi's bed, watching helplessly as Yugi panted in his sleep, fighting with the darkness in his mind. Atem sighed, he didn't know how to help Yugi. He had tried connecting with Yugi through their link, but Yugi's door had been closed. When Atem had reached out to open it, black vines had shot out and wrapped around his wrist before he could pull it back. When he had managed to pull it away, his hand and wrist had black colored cuts on it. Even now in the physical world it can be seen that something had happened to Atem's hand, it had four red welts wrapping around it and his wrist.

_What am I going to do now Yugi?_ Atem thought sadly._ I cannot enter your mind, I must wait until you wake and ask you in person._

As if Yugi had heard Atem's question, his eyes snapped open, but Atem's blood ran cold, those were not Yugi's eyes. He knew that he was now staring at Shadow and not Yugi, because those violet eyes Atem loved so much, were now black and glaring directly at him.

At that moment, the doorbell could be heard from downstairs as two figures stood outside waiting expectantly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Meeting Shadow**

**Normal POV**

"Shadow." Atem greeted coldly after he got over the initial shock of seeing Yugi with black eyes.

**"You!"** Shadow snarled in his own voice, lunging at Atem. Shadow threw both himself and Atem to the ground and wrapped his fingers around Atem's throat. Atem grabbed Shadow's arms and tried to pull him off, but claws were suddenly sinking into his flesh allowing Shadow to have a stronger hold on Atem's neck.

** "You just had show up and play the knight in shining armor, didn't you?"** Shadow spat.** "It won't even matter in the end, you being here is just breaking him more."** Atem paled and Shadow laughed. **"That's right, you're hurting him by being here, you're-" **Shadow suddenly stopped and leaned in closer to Atem, then inhaled deeply. His black eyes now seemed as if they were glowing.

** "Ahh..."** He sighed blissfully. **"Your pain is delicious, almost as good as your brat's, you both have so much pain in you, and you both have the cause for that pain: you leaving.**" Atem inhaled sharply and his grip on Shadow loosened slightly. Shadow closed his eyes and smile as threads of darkness started to swirl around him, then his eyes snapped open and the threads began to seek out Atem's pain by entering his mind. Shadow leaned down until his forehead touched the floor and rested next to Atem's.** "Show me your pain, every detail, from beginning to end, I want to see all of it." **Shadow whispered into Atem's ear.

Atem began struggling when the first of his most painful memories was replayed in his mind. As the darkness plucked more at Atem's memories, his struggles ceased and his hands fell to his sides.

The door suddenly slammed against the wall as Bakura and Marik burst in; they had felt that something was wrong the moment Malik had let them in. Bakura ran to Shadow and tackled him to the side, while Marik quickly rushed over to Atem. Ryou and Malik stood in the doorway as they watched Marik run to Atem and Bakura restrain the thing masquerading as their friend.

Marik placed his hand over Atem's eyes and spoke in a language that only himself and Malik could understand. _"Eliberare_!" A gold light appeared and then the threads of darkness snapped back and returned to Shadow.

** "What did you do!?"** Shadow snarled, but Marik just ignored him as he helped Atem sit up. Atem looked around the room blankly, then placed his head in one of his hands and shook slightly.

Marik then walked over to Shadow and looked down at him sadly. "I'm sorry Yugi, we will get Shadow out, but for now, _I infrana!" _Another gold light appeared around Shadow, but instead of fading like it did with Atem, it kept glowing dimly around him.

** "What have you done?!"** Shadow shrieked when he realized that he couldn't move.** "Tell me what you did!"**

"I restrained you." Marik said simply as Bakura quietly got up and off Shadow.

"Atem?" Ryou asked quietly. Bakura and Marik turned around to see Atem in the same position as before with Ryou and Malik kneeling in front of him. "Are you ok?"

"What did he do to you?" Malik asked. Atem look up, but before he could answer Malik, Shadow began to laugh.

** "Really?"** Shadow gasped out.** "That's all it took? I mean, I knew that you were weaker than your Hikari, but that was just too easy. Do you know how much I had to show him before he broke? Even years before I even came close to gaining a form, I couldn't break the little brat. In the end it only took one image, just one, for him to break and oh, if I were to tell you what image that was, the pain you would feel. But, if I were to tell you ****_when_**** I showed it to him, I bet that you would go as mad as he did."** Shadow began laughing hysterically after that.

Atem glared hatefully at Shadow even though his eyes were filled with pain from what he was told.

"Wait," Ryou gasped, "did he just say that he's already caused Yugi to begin to go mad?"

Shadow's laughter slowly died out as he began to listen to what they were saying when they all looked at him fearfully, he wanted to know what they were planning to do.

"Then we must get to him now." Marik said grimly. "Before it's too late."

"We can't." Atem replied hopelessly, "I was blocked out of his mind and attacked when I tried to go further, even if all of us were to enter through our link, we still wouldn't be strong enough."

"I don't think that it's strength that we need." Malik said quietly. Everyone looked at him questioningly and Shadow was worried that kid had figured out some kind of strategy.

** "What are you going to do?****_ Ask the little Hikari to let you in?"_**Shadow sneered.

"Yes." Malik said simply.

** "What!?"** Shadow laughed, wondering if the kid had lost his mind.** "Oh, ok. Go right ahead, I'm sure he'll be able to hear you."** He said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

"He will," Malik said confidently, "because he wants to."

** "No he doesn't."** Shadow shook in uncontrollable laughter.** "That kid's gone past insane, he doesn't even ****_know_**** what he wants unless it's his precious Yami. If it doesn't involve his pharaoh, then he just watches emotionlessly, knowing he can't do anything. He truly feels as if he collapsed, broke, shattered. He feels lost, alone, helpless, and useless. He-"**

_ "Fara Zgomot!"_ Malik snapped and everyone's eyes widened as a blinding light flashed around Shadow and he stopped talking. _"Amorti!"_ Another flash and Shadow was unconscious.

"You should have done that sooner." Marik said proudly with a smirk while Atem, Ryou, and Bakura stared in awed shock. Malik was even more powerful than Malik.

"As I was saying," Malik said satisfied, "we can ask Yugi if we can enter his mind."

"How?" Atem asked.

"By asking the same way I silenced Shadow." Malik said. "He won't know exactly what I'm saying, but with Marik's help we can convince his subconscious that we want to help and are not a threat. It won't matter what kind of barriers Shadow has put up, he's not in full control as long as Yugi is alive."

"And as soon as we're there, Bakura and I can find him." Ryou said excitedly.

"It will be up to you, pharaoh, to do the rest." Bakura said. "You heard what Shadow said, the only thing Yugi seems to react to right now is you, nothing else."

"Alright." Atem said and looked at Shadow. "Let's go."

The other four nodded and closed their eyes and formed a connection with Atem. Atem focused on the consciousness of the other and pulled them along with him through his link, towards their friend.

* * *

**Meanwhile in Yugi's mind**

A dark figure surrounded by thick threads of darkness stood in front of another that was chained up to a wall. The one chained to the wall stared off vacantly as the one facing him whispered in his ear.

** "Did you see that?"** The figure whispered harshly.** "They don't want you back, they're happy without you. ****_He's_**** happy without you, the one you love, he doesn't care about you, he never did. Didn't you hear him? He wants you gone. What did he say again? Oh, yeah. **_You're a nuisance Mou Hitori No_ Boku." The figure said softly, using the voice of another.

The figure dragged his claws down his face, causing blood to run through his fingers. He stared at the broken boy chained to the wall and laughed, crazed from the high of his success.

* * *

hey guys so what did you think? i'll be posting the next chapter hopefully in a couple of days.

for those of you who are wondering what the words that Marik and Malik spoke were and the language here you go:

the language is Romanian, I used google translate and I like the Romanian language, I think it looks pretty :)

_Eliberare - _Release

_I infrana - _Restrain him

_Fara Zgomot -_ Be silent

_Amorti - _Sleep


End file.
